>>Toyota Fine-X

Toyota Fine-X

Toyota Fine-X at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show

The Toyota Fine-X was a concept car created by Toyota. The Fine-X was first introduced at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. The Fine-X is basically a representation of future production vehicles to come.

Performance and Design

Information about the Fine-X's engine is not well known, nor is its performance, but what has been released is that the Fine-X uses a fuel-cell hybrid system. It can also make perfect U-turns and park very easily, thanks to its independent four-wheel drive. The Fine-X uses the latest IT/ITS peripheral-monitoring technology that allows the Fine-X to have much smoother driving. The Fine-X uses gull-wing doors which are said to make it easier to get in and out of the car.

>>Toyota eCom

Toyota eCom

Toyota eCom

Background

The Toyota eCom was an electric vehicle (EV) that Toyota produced in 1998. The premise of the eCom was not to be just a small car, but a car available to everybody that had a special electronic card instead of a key, promoting carpooling. It was seen in various car shows and demonstrations in three color schemes, one being white with blue fringes, another gold with blue fringes and the third very similar to the first with green-blue fringes.

Fifty eComs were made and stations were set up for rental in Toyota City. Thirty are still in use.

Toyota Motor Sales USA joined with the University of California, Irvine and other partners to demonstrate the shared use of electric cars utilizing e-com, Toyota's 2-passenger personal transport EV. Participants include companies located in University Research Park, a commercial park next to the university. Along with sharing cars, the "Living Power Park Laboratory" will investigate breakthrough concepts in urban design, electricity generated by stationary fuel cells, and use of a micro power grid to distribute electricity. A fleet of e-coms were used for short-distance shared-usage driving and commuting .

The eCom and cars like it were pulled from Toyota's widespread lineup not long after for financial reasons. It could also be thought of as the precursor to the hybrid vehicle Prius and followed by the Toyota Crayon.

>>Toyota 4500GT

Toyota 4500GT

Toyota 4500GT
Manufacturer	Toyota Motor Company
Assembly	Japan
Successor	Toyota Soarer Lexus SC300/SC400
Class	Grand Tourer
Body style(s)	2+2 coupe[1][2]
Layout	FR
Engine(s)	4.5L (4500 cc) V8 220 kW/295bhp@6600 rpm 390N·m/288 ft·lbf @ 4800 rpm
Transmission(s)	6 speed manual, rear mounted
Curb weight	3197 lb (1450 kg)

The Toyota 4500GT concept debuted at the 1989 Frankfurt Auto show. It was a 2 door, 2+2 Coupe that signalled Toyota's entry into the competitive upper-level luxury coupe class. Although the car's controversial styling was almost universally disliked by the show-goers at the Frankfurt show, its mechanical components were far more relevant, as they carried over much more closely to its production offspring than the styling did.

World class performance

Toyota claimed the 4500GT was capable of transporting 4 passengers and their luggage comfortably at a speed of 300 km/h (186 miles per hour) To achieve this, the car had to be both efficient, and powerful. The body's unusual shape (dropping snout, flat and abrupt rear end) yielded an extremely low coefficient of drag for the time period - just .29.

The powerplant was quite impressive, though. A derivative of Toyota's then-new 1UZ-FE V8, the 4500GT boasted an additional 500 cc of displacement over the production unit, twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, and 5 valves per cylinder. This high tech masterpiece produced 220 kW (295 bhp) at 6600 rpm and 390 N·m (288 ft·lbf) at 4800 rpm. This V8 was mated with a 6 speed manual transmission, which was mounted at the rear with the differential to even out the front/rear weight balance.

The Suspension was a sophisticated double control arm setup front and rear. The front utilized upper A arms and lower L arms, and the rear used upper L arms and lower A arms for increased camber which promoted stability in high speed corners.

No acceleration testing was ever done on the car, but with 295 bhp (220 kW) and a curb weight of 3197 lb (1450 kg), the RWD 4500GT could be reasonably expected to achieve 60 miles (97 km) an hour in less than 7 seconds.

Concept to showroom

the 4500GT never made it directly to the showroom; however, it was the predecessor to the highly successful Toyota Soarer/Lexus Coupe. The Lexus SC400 utilized a more tame version of the 4500GT's V8, a 4.0 L with 250 horsepower (186 kW). The styling of the Soarer/Coupe was in the eyes of many much more cohesive and attractive, and it went on to great commercial success on the mechanical backbone of the 4500GT concept.

>>Toyota Yaris Verso

Toyota Yaris Verso

Toyota Yaris Verso
Manufacturer	Toyota
Also called	Toyota Fun Cargo
Production	2000-present
Successor	Toyota Ractis
Class	Mini MPV

The Toyota Yaris Verso is a mini MPV produced by Toyota. In Japan it was called the Fun CarGo. It was replaced in 2004 by the Toyota Ractis. Some Caribbean countries still have the Yaris Verso in production.

>>Toyota WISH

Toyota WISH

Toyota Wish
Manufacturer	Toyota Motor Co.
Production	2003-present
Class	MPV, Minivan
Layout	FWD for Asean markets only 4WD for JDM only
Engine(s)	1.8 L 1ZZ-FE 2.0 L 1AZ-FSE
Transmission(s)	4-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2750 mm (108.3 in)
Length	4550 mm (179.1 in)
Width	1695 mm (66.7 in)
Height	1590 mm (62.6 in)
Related	Honda Stream Nissan Liberty

2005 Toyota Wish

2003 Toyota Wish JDM 2.0Z Model

2005 Toyota Wish JDM 2.0G Model

The Toyota Wish is a minivan produced by Japanese automaker Toyota since 2003. It is available as a six and seven-seater, equipped with either a 1.8 or 2.0-litre gasoline engine. It is positioned below the Ipsum and above the Spacio in Toyota's minivan range.

Apart from Japan, the Wish is also assembled in Thailand (for Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore only) and Taiwan (for Taiwan only).

Model history

2003

The Wish was developed under code name "760N" by the team, lead by Chief engineer named Takeshi Yoshida and was introduced to the public for the first time at Tokyo Motor Show in October 2002 (Commercial vehicles & welcab show) and then launched in Japan in January,20th 2003, under a massive publicity campaign with Japanese singer Utada Hikaru. The TV commercial features her song Colors, which coincides with the launch of her new CD-single. The car was marketed under the "Wish Comes True" slogan.

Codenamed ZNE10G (FWD) and ZNE14G (4WD), it uses a 1.8 L 1ZZ-FE engine, producing (JIS) 132 PS and 170 N·m (125 ft·lbf). It is only available with four-speed automatic. A 2.0 L version (codenamed ANE11W for the six-seater version and ANE10G for the seven-seater version) was launched in April 2003. Equipped with the 1AZ-FSE direct-injection engine, it has (JIS) 155 PS (114 kW) and 192 N·m (142 ft·lbf). Variants with the 2.0 D-4 engine are only available with a CVT gearbox.

The WISH was extremely successful in its home market, and is frequently seen on the Top 5 on the 30 bestseller list each months. It has also made shockwave to its competitors, such as the Honda Stream & Madza Premacy or Mazda 5 to changing its market positioning. The Toyota Wish was also launched as a locally assembled model in Thailand towards the end of 2003 (Dec.2003). The Wish in Thailand is very similar to the Japanese version, except for a few differences:

• Models across the range get the 2.0Z fenders.
• Standard 17 inch wheels across the range (Same design as the one used on the 2.0Z)
• Same 2.0 1AZ-FE engine as the ASEAN Camry instead of the 1AZ-FSE
• No privacy glass (excluding the grey-import variants)
• Leather upholstery as standard on the 2.0Q
• The rear Double wishbone suspension of 4WD models in Japan was fitted with 2WD model in Thailand as standard.

(no Torsion beam rear suspension in Thai version).

2004

The Wish was launched in Taiwan in November 2004. For this market, the car is marketed under the "No Rules!" slogan and the TVCM is shot in New York. The Taiwanese version shares the same engine as the Thailand model, which means missing out on Toyota's D-4 technology. The Taiwanese assembled version have some styling differences: a new front end, redesigned rear LED taillights, reflectors recessed into the rear bumper, body color/chrome side rubbing strips and a cleaner chrome rear plate garnish. The WISH badging is not an integral part of the garnish, unlike the JDM-spec model. Equipment may include parking sensors, dual moonroof and leather seats. Another aspect unique to the Taiwanese Wish is that it can be specified with a beige interior color scheme unlike its Japanese and Thai-built counterparts.

2005

The car was a huge success in Japan, and featured in the best sellers chart regularly, no mean feat for an MPV. The Toyota Wish was updated at the end of 2005 with the introduction of a facelifted model. The original car was fundamentally well designed and that meant that few changes were necessary. Cosmetic changes to the headlights, bumpers, LED tail-lights and dashboard were made, together with revised switchgear for the climate control and automatic transmission (The 2.0Z received a seven-gear transmission. The 2005 Wish was also the third model to be sold exclusively through Toyota's NETZ dealer network, hence the replacement of the Wish's signature "W" front emblem with a generic NETZ oval (As seen on the 2005 Vitz & Ist.). Feedback on the electronic throttle control has been mixed, with claims that the original throttle system used in the 2003 car is quicker off the mark. The drivetrain and engines remained the same.

>>Toyota WiLL

Toyota WiLL

The Toyota WiLL series consists of three individually-designed cars, based on the mechanicals of other Toyota models. The series was intended to appeal to markets that were not covered by Toyota's mainstream range, and to discover how commercially feasible such unusual designs were. The American Scion range is based on a similar concept.

Vi

WiLL Vi

The Toyota WiLL Vi is a compact car, with distinctive styling combining elements of many cars. The bonnet and headlights seem to have prefigured the Citroen C2, while the reverse-slope rear window is reminiscent of cars from the 1960s such as the 105E Ford Anglia and the Citroen Ami 6, and the curvy styling of the roof and boot are similar to the Renault 4CV. The car features column shift automatic and a split bench seat in the front, centrally-mounted instruments and the 1,300 cc 2NZ engine from the Vitz/Yaris on which it is based.

WiLL VS

The Vi's bigger brother, the Toyota WiLL VS was years ahead of its rivals in car design when it was first introduced in 2001.

In the years to follow, several other vehicles have taken styling cues from the WiLL VS, most notably the 2004 Vauxhall Astra and the Renault Megane. Inspiration for the design of the WiLL VS was said to have been derived from the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter. In spite of its success in the Japanese market where the WiLL VS had a cult following, the model was never released overseas. Production of the WiLL VS was stopped circa 2004 and a replacement model was never announced, much to the disappointment of its fans. Nevertheless, some would argue that there was no need to replace the WiLL VS for at least another decade given its futuristic design that some of the newer cars were only beginning to adopt. This would include trend-setting features such as the rakish body shape, aerodynamic angles, projector-style headlamp cluster (regarded as revolutionary in 2001), illuminated speedometer and clear LED tail lights.

The WiLL VS came in 3 levels of trim. The top of the range model came with alloy wheels, fog-lamps, body kit and tiptronic gearshift. All models were only available in automatic transmission, powered by Toyota's 1800cc VVT-I engine.

The WiLL VS will probably be remembered as one of the few concept vehicles that went into production, albeit only in small numbers.

WiLL Cypha

The WiLL Cypha was produced from 2002 to 2005. It shared many of its mechanicals, including the 1.3-litre 2NZ and 1.5-litre 1NZ engines, with the Ist. Its styling developed themes seen in the Vitz/Yaris, but has a more angular look. Notable features are the rear lights placed level with the rear window, giving a look of the Renault Megane II, and the distinctive headlights which have four lamps per side arranged vertically. The interior used a rounded theme, with items such as the door pulls and the central console being circular.

Gallery

VS

Cypha

Cypha

>>Toyota Voltz

Toyota Voltz

The Toyota Voltz was a tall station wagon sold from 2002 to 2004. It was assembled by NUMMI in Fremont, California and marketed by Toyota in its home market of Japan, but curtailed after a disappointing sales volume of just over 10,000 units. The Voltz was produced alongside the Pontiac Vibe in Fremont, California, in the United States by NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc), a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. This vehicle is known as the Pontiac Vibe (itself a version of the Toyota Matrix) in North America. The Vibe was exported to the Japanese market (with minor badging changes and right-hand drive configuration) as the Toyota Voltz. Whereas its exterior styling is identical to the Vibe, some interior details differ, matching the interior of the Matrix instead. Curiously, the North American Toyota-branded Matrix was not sold in Japan.